We've cast-iron proof evidence: News of the World

British Tabloid The News of the World today claimed it has cast-iron proof and timed evidence to shatter the "ludicrous" claims of Pakistan's High Commissioner Wajid Hasan that alleged cricketers were victims of a "set up".

worldUpdated: Sep 05, 2010 14:47 IST

PTI

British Tabloid The News of the World on Sunday claimed it has cast-iron proof and timed evidence to shatter the "ludicrous" claims of Pakistan's High Commissioner Wajid Hasan that alleged cricketers were victims of a "set up".

Hasan had insisted that the three players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif -- suspected of involvement in a spot-fixing scandal were innocent and it could have been a "set up".

However, the British tabloid refused to respond to such ludicrous allegations and said it has solid evidences which can help the investigators to nail the players.

"We have dated receipts showing our reporters picked up £140,000 from a London travel agents and took a hired car to the London hotel where our undercover Investigations Editor Mazher Mahmood met match fixer Mazhar Majeed to hand over the cash.

"Police possess CCTV footage from the hotel showing Mahmood and Majeed arriving separately for the meeting on August 25.

"At 9.53 pm, Majeed texted Mahmood asking: "Boss can we meet at 10.30 pls". Five minutes later he sent another asking: "Which hotel?"

"We videoed the handover and later Mahmood e-mailed our editor Colin Myler, company lawyer Tom Crone and the news editor to brief them on what had happened.

"His e-mail is timed at 01:24 on August 26 - nine and a half hours before the Lord's Test was due to begin."

The spot-fixing scandal got more murkier today with Pakistani opener Yasir Hameed claiming that his teammates have been fixing "almost every match" in a report by the British Tabloid.

The paper also revealed details of the conversations between their undercover reporter and alleged fixer Majeed, besides a trail of text messages retrieved from his mobile which indicate his close ties with Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.